Shelters

Houston flood shelters open and close in the same afternoon. A church that took people last night may be full by lunch. A rec center on the news may never have opened. Treat any list, including this page, as a map of where to check, not a promise of an empty cot.

If someone is in rising water, trapped in a car, or needs medical help, that is 911. Everything else can wait five minutes.

Harvey-era posts named George R. Brown, NRG, and a rotating list of schools and churches. Those are history. Do not reuse them as today's bed. Confirm on a live dashboard, then ask the site if they are still taking people.

1. If water is still rising around you or you cannot get out, call 911. Tell them the nearest cross street and whether you have kids, pets, or medical gear.
2. Check a live shelter source: Harris County OEM, City of Houston OEM, Red Cross, or 211. Do not rely on a screenshot from last night.
3. Grab IDs, meds, chargers, a change of clothes, and pet crates if you have them. Twenty minutes is enough if you do not pack the house. See the 20-minute list.
4. Tell one out-of-town person where you are going. Family split-ups are common when boats, buses, and high-water trucks take people in different directions.

Houstonians often report that the worst part of leaving is the second-guessing on the feeder. If officials say roads are closed, they are closed. Turn around. The ditch always wins.

We do not list shelter street addresses here on purpose. Addresses go stale. A closed gym with cars in the lot is how people waste the last dry hour. Ready Harris, Houston OEM, the Harris County shelter dashboard, and the Red Cross finder are the checks. Ask the site if they are taking people tonight.

Staying put is sometimes the safer call. Driving a sedan through a flooded underpass is how Houston loses people every storm. If water is over the hubcaps on your street and you have a second story, dry food, and no medical emergency, wait for a high-water rescue instead of improvising a truck.

Leave if the first floor is taking on water, power is out with a medically fragile person, sewage is in the house, or officials have issued a go-now order for your pocket. Apartments on the first floor near bayou parks flood fast. Do not wait to "see if it crests."

Houstonians often report a second wave after the sky clears: USACE releases from Addicks and Barker, or a bayou that is still rising on the Harris County Flood Warning System. If you are west or downstream of those reservoirs, check the gauges and the Corps notices before you unpack the car.

Service animals go where you go. Pets are a different story. Some Red Cross shelters take crated animals. Some only take people and point you to a partner kennel. Ask before you drive: "Are you accepting pets, and do they stay with us or in a separate area?" Harris County and City of Houston animal services sometimes spin up overflow during big events. Verify live.

At intake they will want a name, a count of people, and any medical needs. You will not be turned away for missing a wallet, but meds lists and IDs make the next week less ugly. Bring chargers, daily medicine, kids' comfort items, and a crate if you have one. Cots, water, and a charging table are typical. Privacy is not.

• Are you taking overnight intakes right now?
• Do you have accessible beds, oxygen space, or a crib?
• Are pets allowed, and do they stay with the household?
• Is the feeder or frontage still ponded, and is there a second official site if you are full?

If the person on the phone cannot answer those, you do not have a confirmed bed. Call 211 and read the address back.